Often painted as a single country, Africa is regarded as a high-risk investment when compared to mining jurisdictions like Canada or Australia. However, an uptick in metal prices in 2018 has reinvigorated appetite for the continent’s famed mineral potential, and subsequently foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are expected to increase by 20% to US$50 billion in 2018. As dissimilar twins that share a geological trend and little else, the DRC and Zambia are both top of mind for investors eager to take advantage of recovering copper prices. Zambia intends to produce a record 1,000,000 tonnes of copper this year, and the high grades found in the DRC — often upwards of 3% — continue to tantalize despite an impending election and a divisive new mining code. While copper and cobalt are clearly the main drivers for investment, the broad mineral potential found beyond the Central African Copperbelt also provides ample reason to examine other opportunities, with emeralds, manganese, nickel and zinc garnering particular interest in Zambia while diamonds, gold, tin, and lithium have seen significant new investment in the DRC. The entire mining ecosystem has experienced a boost from green shoots in the global mining economy, and on the whole both Zambia and DRC are gearing up for a strong 2019.